So… the flood gates have officially opened on Steam, it seems, given the amount of releases in the past couple of weeks. While it is great to see so many new games released, unfortunately, the rate does create a major problem: visibility. Right now I’d wager that once your game has been on Steam for 24 hours – maybe even less! – it’s pretty much buried, long gone from the front page. Fast-forward a full week, and people are going to have to do some serious digging through several pages to stumble upon it, most likely. A problem I aim to solve, or at least alleviate, with this particular article series.

Beat The Game ($9.99)
Gamepad? Nope. Keyboard? Nope. Mouse? Think again. VR? Heck no! Actually… maybe Beat The Game can be played with one or more of those, but my point is, the game is actually played… through the magic of audio. More or less. Which is awesome. It also sounds (no pun intended) super weird, which is a huge plus, mixing beats, snares and… who knows what else? Rock and roll!

Please Knock on My Door ($12.99)
Things like social anxiety and depression are not to be taken lightly, but that doesn’t mean a video game featuring a protagonist suffering from both won’t be enjoyable. At least that’s what I’m hoping, because not only does Please Knock on my Door look really good, it’s also billed as a learning experience, one focusing more on exploring than, you know, crazy action. A choice-driven tale, as it were, about spending an hour (or two, or three?) in the shoes of someone who’s got it pretty bad. Color me intrigued.

Laika 2.0 ($9.99)
Well damn, the KGB was up to some serious monkey business, during the Cold War; or at least, that’s the case in Laika 2.0, which has you playing as… “a special biologically enhanced KGB chimpanzee agent”. Yeah. But hey, if a tiny chunk of meat can run and jump, accomplishing absolutely crazy feats in the process, surely a modified chimpanzee… well… yeah. I don’t know. Crazy stuff. Digging its art style, though.

Archaica: The Path of Light ($14.99)
Show of hands, who does not enjoy puzzles consisting mostly of redirecting lasers with mirrors? Wait, I actually don’t. Not really. And yet I’m willing to give Archaica: The Path of Light a chance, because… there’s just something about it. Could be that I just like controlling lasers, and something something saving the world. Hard to say.

Eight-Minute Empire ($8.99)
World conquest in less than ten minutes? Sounds like a solid concept to me, and the Risk inspired gameplay certainly sweetens the deal. Only… no dice rolls. Instead, players will be picking from a pre-determined pool of cards during their turn. These not only determine possible actions, but also how many points will be added to their score once all is said and done. So kinda like Risk, yet at the same time, not really. Oh, and did I mention how it takes mere minutes to play? Not too shabby.